Before The Dawn
by GothicAutumn
Summary: AU. Post OotP. After being released from Azkaban Prison and pardoned for his crimes, Lucius Malfoy's life starts to change when he decides to pursue the job of Minister and he can't forget a woman he had a one-night stand with.


**Title**: Before The Dawn

**Rating**: PG-13

**Summary**: AU. Post OotP. After being released from Azkaban Prison and pardoned for his crimes, Lucius Malfoy's life starts to change when he decides to pursue the job of Minister and he can't forget a woman he had a one-night stand with.

**Disclaimer**: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

**A/N**: This is my first Lucius Malfoy story. I've written other pieces where he's been a secondary character but I've never had him as a main character. Since this story takes place after OotP, I've labeled it AU since we don't know what'll happen in the next book. Also, since we know only bits and pieces of Lucius' life and history, I'm going to take the liberty of writing his back story. I'll combine what JK Rowling has provided us about Lucius and add on to it. Reviews are appreciated but not expected.

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**Chapter One - Midnight **

The only sound that came from the small room that night was the creaking of a bed. Lucius Malfoy grunted every once in a while but was mostly concentrating at the task at hand. It was his first real shag since being released from Azkaban and he wanted to enjoy it.

He barely knew the woman that was lying beneath him and he didn't care to either. They had met downstairs in the Leaky Cauldron and when she mentioned she had a room upstairs, he didn't hesitate to follow her there.

It was far from a romantic shag. She barely got out of her knickers and her skirt pulled up before Lucius had her on the bed, not even bothering to disrobe himself. All he knew was that he needed this release since his wife, Narcissa, refused to even sleep in the same bed as him.

It would only take a few more thrusts before it was over. Lucius collapsed on top of the woman, trying hard to catch his breath. He didn't want to stay there for long though; there was no sense in getting the poor girl's hopes up because he planned on never seeing her again.

When he finally lifted his head up, he looked down at her. He almost shuddered at the coldness, which was radiating from her deep blue eyes. Lucius quickly pulled away from her before standing from the bed to pull his pants up.

Once his belt was tied, he pulled a few sickles from his pocket and dumped them onto the bedside table. "That should cover it, yes?" he said before retrieving his cane.

The woman eyed the sickles and then looked over at him. "I'm not a prostitute," she whispered before pushing her black hair out of her face.

Lucius bit his tongue and reached over for the money. "Very well then," he said. But before he could get his hands on the sickles, the woman slapped her own hand over them.

"I'm keeping the money," she declared as Lucius gave her a puzzled look. "I'm keeping it as a reminder not to feel sorry for middle-aged men with canes. That was the worst shag I've ever had."

Lucius raised his eyebrows in surprise. No one had ever dared to say such a thing to him and he wasn't sure how to take it. He stood there and considered the woman, who couldn't have been any older than her late twenties.

"Perhaps you'd like to give it another go," he said, his hands fumbling with his belt.

The woman snorted. "No thanks," she simply said before getting off the bed. She performed a contraceptive and cleaning spell before finding her knickers.

Lucius tutted and then grinned. "Have it your way," he coolly said as the clock above Gringotts struck midnight. "Good night."

The woman watched as he approached the door and creased her brow when he suddenly stopped.

"Did I even kiss you?" he asked without turning around.

"You did downstairs," responded the woman, with a less than thrilled sound to her voice.

Lucius smiled to himself. He turned on his heel and stalked over to the woman like a wild animal. When he was finally standing before her, he smirked at the look of boldness on her face. He reached over and wrapped his long fingers around her black locks, pulling her close before he crushed her mouth with his.

When he pulled back, the woman was winded and trying to catch her breath. He gave her a malicious smile before he said; "At least I'll leave you breathless."

The woman darted her tongue over her swollen lips, keeping her eyes trained on him. "You're quite keen on making me forget about your sub par performance in bed, aren't you?" she inquired.

Lucius placed his hand on her face and allowed his fingers to outline her cheekbone. He then turned on his heel, went to the door and left without another word.

* * *

The following morning, Lucius woke up to the sound of Bellatrix's laugh. He growled to himself before pushing the bed covers off his body. He stood and noticed that he smelled like the woman he'd been with the night before.

Lucius figured a quick shower would fix that however, when he stepped into the bathroom, he had this urge to not shower. The sweet smell of vanilla, which he deducted was the woman's perfume, lingered about him and it gave him comfort.

"Lucius! Are you awake?"

He groaned at the sound of Narcissa's voice. "I'm taking a shower," he growled through the bathroom door.

"When you finish, please come downstairs. Bellatrix and I have something to discuss with you," his wife said.

Lucius nodded, even though he knew she couldn't see him, before turning the shower on. He let the hot water spill over his body before soaping up. Once he was clean, he turned the water off and dried off.

When he arrived downstairs, Bellatrix and Narcissa were sitting in one of the tea parlors. Lucius stepped into the room and glanced at them before taking a seat.

"What is it that you lot need?" he asked as he folded his hands over the top of his cane.

Narcissa picked up that morning's edition of the _Daily Prophet _and handed it to him. Lucius looked at it and leered at the headline. It seemed that the board of governors were finally going to name a new minister and the candidates were Arthur Weasley and some bloke named Alexander Harris.

"You brought me down here for this?" asked Lucius before he threw the paper onto the floor. "I could care less who the new minister is!"

Narcissa and Bellatrix glanced at each other before Narcissa stated, "We think you should put your name in for minister."

Lucius sniffed. "As if they'd even consider me," he pushed out. "Have you two forgotten that I just got out of Azkaban?"

"But Fudge pardoned you before they fired him! Your record is clean," said Bellatrix as she rubbed her hands together. "It's the perfect little plan. You become minister and our side will rule."

Lucius rubbed his chin in thought. After being caught at the Department of Mysteries, Draco and Narcissa worked hard on getting him released from prison. They finally put Cornelius Fudge on their payroll and three days before he was fired from the position of minister, Fudge pardoned Lucius of all wrongdoing.

Yet with Fudge gone as minister, Lucius no longer held a position of power within the Ministry and he didn't quite know if approaching the board would be the best idea. Then again, he figured he could influence a few of them with his money, which could make the voting interesting.

Lucius stood from the chair and positioned his cane in front of him. Narcissa and Bellatrix watched him with interest as he walked to the parlor door.

"Where are you going?" asked Bellatrix, leaning forward in her chair.

"To the Ministry," stated Lucius. "Perhaps some members of the board will listen to my _plea_ and consider me for minister."

Bellatrix cackled with laughter and clapped her hands together. "Brilliant!" she cried.

Narcissa looked to her husband, her lips twitching to form a smile. "I expect a full report once you've returned," she murmured.

Lucius curtly nodded and Disapparted out of sight.

* * *

The Ministry of Magic was filled with activity that morning. Lucius made his way through the hallways, getting looks of disbelief as he passed by desks and office doors. He didn't notice any of them though since he was too busy thinking about which board member he should visit first.

Lucius chose to go to William Smith's office first. William was a tiny man that was easily persuaded. If he couldn't win over William, then there was no hope for him.

William was sitting at his small desk when Lucius walked in. When saw him, William instantly stood up.

"Hello, Lucius!" he cried as he reached across the desk to shake his hand.

Lucius smiled. "Hello, William," he quietly said before having a seat.

"What brings you out today?" asked William after he sat back down.

A small smile passed Lucius' lips as he folded his hand on his lap. "I came to speak to you about the position of minister," he said. "I read a piece about it in the _Daily Prophet _today and it perked my interest."

"Oh, of course," said William, leaning forward. "What would you like to know?"

"Nothing really," said Lucius. "But I would like to be considered for the position."

William's mouth dropped open in shock. Everyone knew that Lucius had just been released from Azkaban and to even consider him for the position would incite a riot.

"I don't know Lucius," frowned William. "I don't think the board members would go for that."

"Not even if I were to, oh, I don't know, maybe contribute to their bank accounts?" asked Lucius, a sneer forming on his face.

William took a long breath in and continued to look at Lucius. He knew that Lucius was very well off and he could use the money.

"I could speak to the other board members," he finally said.

"Good," nodded Lucius. "Just make sure you speak to those you can trust. I wouldn't want to end up in Azkaban again."

"Of course not," said William before a loud knock sounded on his office door. "Enter."

The door creaked open and a woman stepped in. Lucius didn't bother to turn around; instead he looked down at his cane.

"Hi, William. I have those papers for you," said the woman.

Lucius' eyebrows shot up. The woman's voice sounded familiar, which made him slowly turn in his chair. He smirked when he saw it was the woman he'd shagged the night before.

"Thank you Bethany," said William as he stood. He then shook his head and smiled. "Where are my manners? Lucius, this is my solicitor, Bethany Edwards. She's working on a few legal matters for me."

Lucius nodded and stood from the chair. "Lucius Malfoy," he said, holding his hand out for her to shake.

Bethany lightly wrapped her fingers around his hand and shook it without breaking eye contact with him. "Nice to meet you Mr. Malfoy."

Lucius smiled and let go of her hand. He looked her over, noting that she looked different than she had the night before. Her dark hair was pulled back into a loose bun and she was dressed in conservative robes, yet, she still had a look of defiance in her eyes.

"Do you two know each other?" asked William.

"Not personally," answered Bethany, giving Lucius a small smile. "But of course, everyone knows Lucius Malfoy. He's quite the celebrity."

Lucius raised his eyebrows and titled his head. She had known who he was before she'd taken him to her room. He smiled at this, thinking she'd shagged him because of his "celebrity" status.

"Everything looks in order, Bethany. Thank you so much for doing this for me," said William, interrupting the moment between the two.

Bethany pulled her eyes away from Lucius and peered around him. "Good. If you need anymore help, please owl me," she said.

"Are you still staying at the Leaky Cauldron?" inquired William, looking up at her.

"I am," she smiled. "I'll be there until I find more suitable arrangements. Now if you gentlemen would excuse me."

"Of course," said Lucius, giving her a smile.

She smiled back before turning toward the door.

Lucius watched as she pulled the door open before turning toward William again. "You'll speak to some of the other board members, right?" he asked.

"Yes," nodded William. "I'll a post you once I know anything."

Lucius' lips curled up into a small smile before he turned on his heel and left the office. When he strode into the hallway, he saw Bethany speaking to an older man. He stood and watched them until the man walked off.

"Miss Edwards," said Lucius before walking over to her. "May I please have a word with you?"

Bethany nodded and watched him walk over to her. "What do you need Mr. Malfoy?"

Lucius stopped before her and tapped his cane on the floor. Now that he had her attention, he didn't quite know what to say to her. He never had conversations with his one-night stands.

"Would you care to have some drinks again tonight?" he finally asked.

Bethany crossed her arms over her royal blue robes and looked him in the eyes. "Do you normally ask your one-night stands out on dates, Mr. Malfoy?" she asked, tilting her head to the side.

"No, I don't," said Lucius, a smile spreading across his face.

"Go home to your wife," said Bethany before she turned and walked off.

Lucius was tempted to follow her but decided against it. He had other things that needed his attention at that moment but he fully intended on making another trip to the Leaky Cauldron that night.

**A/N**: Thank you for reading. :)


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